And then there is the great unknown: the Nintendo Revolution. This is the Nintendo-given codename for the successor to GameCube, which is slated for release in 2006; it will go toe-to-toe with Sony's forthcoming PlayStation 3 console. (Incidentally, Microsoft will allegedly launch the follow-up to Xbox sometime this holiday season.) We've read all sorts of mistranslated comments about the machine and we've also spoken with development studios that are only just starting to learn about its technical capabilities.
Frankly, there's not much to say, except that it's going to be different from just about anything Nintendo has done before -- so original, in fact, that it may buck the designs of current consoles in favor of a whole new gameplay dynamic. Sounds, uh, revolutionary. I'm still not sure what to think of the machine, and I'm sure most of you feel the same way. But 2005 is a very important year in this regard because in just four months Nintendo will tell us its vision for the console. It could be the greatest thing ever. Or maybe not. But at least we'll finally know. I have to say that as a longtime Nintendo fan, I'm pretty excited.
